PC beta invites for Grand Theft Auto 5 contain malware

Rockstar Games, the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, has remained silent on the possibility of a PC version of the game that has become a behemoth on the consoles. In fact, the rumors of a PC version have only grown as gaming sites talk about potential ports of the game to Xbox One and PS4 – the basis being that if the next-gen consoles get the game, why not PC?

Speculation has existed for some time. Some have attempted to tease gamers with false screenshots of gameplay on an alleged PC version currently in beta testing, an example of which is seen below.

The desire for an invite into the rumored beta program for a PC version of GTA 5 has spurred scammers into action. An email discovered by researchers at Trend Micro has started circulating online, promising promotional codes for the beta program.

As one would expect, the attachment with the promised code is nothing but a Trojan. In addition, the links in the email are pointed to a Phishing site.

In a blog post, Trend’s Michael Casayuran comments:

“Rockstar Games’ latest offering for the videogame industry, open-world crime simulator Grand Theft Auto V, came out several months ago for consoles to fanfare and anticipation. Unsurprisingly, people have been waiting for the PC version, despite Rockstar Games being very mum about its release date (or even its existence).

“Even though the existence of a PC version of GTA V is an unproven rumor, cybercriminals still managed to make convincing bait out of it.”

Image: Trend Micro